Quotes and Images From The Tales and Novels of Jean de La Fontaine

thewyir - Jean De La Fontaine

Le téléchargement nécessite un accès à la bibliothèque YouScribe
Tout savoir sur nos offres

19 pages

English

Le téléchargement nécessite un accès à la bibliothèque YouScribe
Tout savoir sur nos offres

A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

QUOTES AND IMAGES FROM THE TALES AND NOVELS OF FONTAINE
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Quotes and Images From The Tales and Novels of Jean de La Fontaine, by Jean de La Fontaine This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: Quotes and Images From The Tales and Novels of Jean de La Fontaine Author: Jean de La Fontaine Edited and Arranged by David Widger Release Date: August 27, 2004 [EBook #7543] [Last updated on February 16, 2007] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK QUOTES FROM FONTAINE ***
Produced by David Widger
THE TALES AND NOVELS OF J. DE LA FONTAINE
A pretty wife? Beware the monks as you would guard your life Above all law is might Avoid attorneys, if you comfort crave Delays are dangerous, in love or war Ev'ry grave's the same Extremes in ev'ry thing will soonest tire In childhood FEAR 's the lesson first we know! In country villages each step is seen In the midst of society, he was absent from it Monks are knaves in Virtue's mask No folly greater than to heighten pain Some ostentation ever is with grief The god of love and wisdom ne'er agree Those who weep most the soonest gain relief Tis past our pow'r to live on love or air Twere wrong with hope our fond desires to feed We scarcely good can ...

Informations

Publié par	thewyir
Publié le	08 décembre 2010
Nombre de lectures	25
Langue	English

Extrait

A pretty wife? Beware the monksas you would guard your life Above all law is might Avoid attorneys, if you comfortcrave Delays are dangerous, in love or raw Ev'ry grave's the same Extremes in ev'ry thing willsoonest tire In childhood FEAR 's the lessonfirst we know! In country villages each step is nees In the midst of society, he wasabsent from it Monks are knaves in Virtue's ksam No folly greater than to heighten niap Some ostentation ever is withgrief The god of love and wisdomne'er agree Those who weep most thesoonest gain relief Tis past our pow'r to live on loveor air Twere wrong with hope our fonddesires to feed We scarcely good can findwithout alloy Who knows too much, oft showsa want of senseLIFE OFJEAN DE LA FONTAINE

Jean de La Fontaine was born on the 8th of July, 1621, at Chateau-Thierry,and his family held a respectable position there.His education was neglected, but he had received that genius which makesamends for all. While still young the tedium of society led him into retirement,from which a taste for independence afterwards withdrew him.He had reached the age of twenty-two, when a few sounds from the lyre ofMalherbe, heard by accident, awoke in him the muse which slept.He soon became acquainted with the best models: Phoedrus, Virgil, Horaceand Terence amongst the Latins; Plutarch, Homer and Plato, amongst theGreeks; Rabelais, Marot and d'Urfe, amongst the French; Tasso, Ariosto andBoccaccio, amongst the Italians.He married, in compliance with the wishes of his family, a beautiful, witty andchaste woman, who drove him to despair.He was sought after and cherished by all distinguished men of letters. But itwas two Ladies who kept him from experiencing the pangs of poverty.La Fontaine, if there remain anything of thee, and if it be permitted to thee fora moment to soar above all time; see the names of La Sabliere and of Hervardpass with thine to the ages to come!The life of La Fontaine was, so to speak, only one of continual distraction. Inthe midst of society, he was absent from it. Regarded almost as an imbecile bythe crowd, this clever author, this amiable man, only permitted himself to beseen at intervals and by friends.He had few books and few friends.Amongst a large number of works that he has left, everyone knows his fablesand his tales, and the circumstances of his life are written in a hundred places.He died on the 16th of March, 1695.He was buried in the cemetery of Saint-Joseph, by the side of Moliere. THE AUTHOR'S PREFACETO THE FIRST VOLUME OF THESE TALESI had resolved not to consent to the printing of these Tales, until after I hadjoined to them those of Boccaccio, which are those most to my taste; butseveral persons have advised me to produce at once what I have remaining ofthese trifles, in order to prevent from cooling the curiosity to see them, which isstill in its first ardour. I gave way to this advice without much difficulty, and Ihave thought well to profit by the occasion. Not only is that permitted me, but itwould be vanity on my part to despise such an advantage........... Now, that Ishould be permitted to write about these as so many others have done and withsuccess I do not believe it can be doubted; and people cannot condemn me forso doing, without also condemning Ariosto before me and the Ancients beforeAriosto. It may be said that I should have done better to have suppressedcertain details, or at least to have disguised them. Nothing was more easy, butit would have weakened the tale and taken away some of its charm: So muchcircumspection is only necessary in works which promise great discretion fromthe beginning, either by their subject or by the manner in which they are treated.I confess that it is necessary to keep within certain limits, and that the narrowest

are the best; also it must be allowed me that to be too scrupulous would spoilall. He who would wish to reduce Boccaccio to the same modesty as Virgil,would assuredly produce nothing worth having, and would sin against the lawsof propriety by setting himself the task to observe them. For in order that onemay not make a mistake in matters of verse and prose, extreme modesty andpropriety are two very different things. Cicero makes the latter consist in sayingwhat is appropriate one should say, considering the place, the time, and thepersons to whom one is speaking. This principle once admitted, it is not a faultof judgment to entertain the people of to-day with Tales which are a little broad. TALES AND NOVELSFOJ. DE LA FONTAINE.......

THE JSUESRTVIAFINETD GIRLBOCCACE alone is not my only source;T'another shop I now shall have recourse;Though, certainly, this famed Italian witHas many stories for my purpose fit.But since of diff'rent dishes we should taste;Upon an ancient work my hands I've placed;Where full a hundred narratives are told,And various characters we may behold;From life, Navarre's fair queen the fact relates;My story int'rest in her page creates;Beyond dispute from her we always find,Simplicity with striking art combin'd.Yet, whether 'tis the queen who writes, or not;I shall, as usual, here and there allotWhate'er additions requisite appear;Without such license I'd not persevere,But quit, at once, narrations of the sort;Some may be long, though others are tooshort. LET us proceed, howe'er (our plan explained:)A pretty servant-girl a man retain'd.She pleas'd his eye, and presently he thought,With ease she might to am'rous sports bebrought;He prov'd not wrong; the wench was blithe and,yagA buxom lass, most able ev'ry way. AT dawn, one summer's morn, the spark wasdelTo rise, and leave his wife asleep in bed;He sought at once the garden, where he foundThe servant-girl collecting flow'rs around,To make a nosegay for his better half,Whose birth-day 'twas:—he soon began tolaugh,And while the ranging of the flow'rs he prais'd,

The servant's neckerchief he slyly rais'd.Who, suddenly, on feeling of the hand,Resistance feign'd, and seem'd to make astand;But since these liberties were nothing new,They other fun and frolicks would pursue;The nosegay at the fond gallant was thrown;The flow'rs he kiss'd, and now more ardentnworgThey romp'd and rattl'd, play'd and skiptaround;At length the fair one fell upon the ground;Our am'rous spark advantage took of this,And nothing with the couple seem'd amiss. UNLUCKILY, a neighbour's prying eyesBeheld their playful pranks with great surprise,She, from her window, could the sceneo'erlook;When this the fond gallant observ'd, he shook;Said he, by heav'ns! our frolicking is seen,By that old haggard, envious, prying quean;But do not heed it; instantly he choseTo run and wake his wife, who quickly rose;—So much the dame he fondl'd and caress'd,The garden walk she took at his request,To have a nosegay, where he play'd anewPranks just the same as those of recent view,Which highly gratified our lady fair,Who felt dispos'd, and would at eve repair,To her good neighbour, whom she burstingfound,With what she'd seen that morn upon theground. THE usual greetings o'er, our envious dame,With scowling brow exclaim'd,—my dear, your,emafI love too much not fully to detail,What I have witnessed, and with truth bewail;Will you continue, in your house to keepA girl, whose conduct almost makes me weep?Anon I'd kick her from your house, I say;The strumpet should not stay another day.The wife replied, you surely are deceiv'd;An honest, virtuous creature she's believ'd.

Well, I can easily, my friend, suppose,Rejoin'd the neighbour, whence this favourflows;But look about, and be convinc'd, this mornFrom my own window (true as you are born,)Within the garden I your husband spi'dAnd presently the servant girl I ey'd;At one another various flow'rs they threw,And then the minx a little graver grew.I understand you, cried the list'ning fair;You are deceiv'd:—myself alone was there. NEIGHBOUR But patience, if you please: attend I prayYou've no conception what I meant to say:The playful fair was actively employ'd,In plucking am'rous flow'rs—they kiss'd andtoy'd. EFIW'Twas clearly I, howe'er, for her you took. NEIGHBOUR The flow'rs for bosoms quickly they forsook;Large handfuls frequently they seem'd tograsp,And ev'ry beauty in its turn to clasp. EFIWBut still, why think you, friend, it was not I?Has not your spouse with you a right to tryWhat freaks he likes? NEIGHBOUR But then, upon the groundThis girl was thrown, and never cried norfrown'd;You laugh.—

EFIWIndeed I do, 'twas myself. NEIGHBOUR A flannel petticoat display'd the elf. EFIW'Twas mine: NEIGHBOUR Be patient:—and inform me, pray,If this were worn by you or her to-day?There lies the point, for, if you'll me believe,Your husband did—the most you canconceive. EFIW How hard of credence!—'twas myself I vow. NEIGHBOUR Oh! that's conclusive; I'll be silent now;Though truly I am led to think, my eyesAre pretty sharp, and much I feel surpriseAt what you say; in fact, I would have sworn,I saw them thus at romps this very morn;Excuse the hint, and do not turn her off. EFIWWhy, turn her off?—the very thought I scoff;She serves me well. NEIGHBOUR

And so it seems is taught;By all means keep her then, since thus she'sthought.ATNHDE TARVICAKRIINCIGO GUAS LWLIAFNETWHO knows the world will never feel surprise,When men are duped by artful women's eves;Though death his weapon freely will unfold;Love's pranks, we find, are ever ruled by gold.To vain coquettes I doubtless here allude;But spite of arts with which they're oft endued;I hope to show (our honour to maintain,)We can, among a hundred of the train,Catch one at least, and play some cunningtrick:—For instance, take blithe Gulphar's wily nick,Who gained (old soldier-like) his ardent aim,And gratis got an avaricious dame.

LOOK well at this, ye heroes of the sword,Howe'er with wily freaks your heads be stored,Beyond a doubt, at court I now could find,A host of lovers of the Gulphar kind. To Gasperin's so often went our wight,The wife at length became his sole delight,Whose youth and beauty were by allconfessed;But, 'midst these charms, such av'rice shepossessed,The warmest love was checked—a thing not,erarIn modern times at least, among the FAIR.'Tis true, as I've already said, with suchSighs naught avail, and promises not much;Without a purse, who wishes should express,Would vainly hope to gain a soft caress.The god of love no other charm employs,Then cards, and dress, and pleasure'scheering joys;From whose gay shops more cuckolds webehold,Than heroes sallied from Troy's horse of old. BUT to our lady's humour let's adhere;Sighs passed for naught: they entered not her;rae'Twas speaking only would the charmerplease,The reader, without doubt, my meaning sees;Gay Gulphar plainly spoke, and named a sumA hundred pounds, she listened:—waso'ercome. OUR wight the cash by Gasperin was lent;And then the husband to the country went,Without suspecting that his loving mate,Designed with horns to ornament his pate. THE money artful Gulphar gave the dame,While friends were round who could observe

the same;Here, said the spark, a hundred poundsreceive,'Tis for your spouse:—the cash with you Ileave.The lady fancied what the swain had said,Was policy, and to concealment led. NEXT morn our belle regaled the arch gallant,Fulfilled his promise:—and his eager want.Day after day he followed up the game;For cash he took, and int'rest on the same;Good payers get, we always may conclude,Full measure served, whatever is pursued. WHEN Gasperin returned, our crafty wight,Before the wife addressed her spouse at sight;Said he the cash I've to your lady paid,Not having (as I feared) required its aid;To save mistakes, pray cross it in your book;The lady, thunderstruck, with terror shook;Allowed the payment; 'twas a case too clear;In truth for character she 'gan to fear.But most howe'er she grudged the surplus joy,Bestowed on such a vile, deceitful boy. THE loss was doubtless great in ev'ry viewAround the town the wicked Gulphar flew;In all the streets, at every house to tell,How nicely he had trick'd the greedy belle. To blame him useless 'twere you must allow;The French such frolicks readily avow.FAVORITE QUOTATIONSA pretty wife? Beware the monks as you would guard your lifeAbove all law is mightAvoid attorneys, if you comfort crave